Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – Laos' tourism industry achieved another success, with Luang Prabang winning 21 awards at the 2026 ASEAN Tourism Forum, further solidifying its position as a regional leader in sustainable tourism. Meanwhile, the annual Kapok Festival in Dong Phrom District, Bokeo Province, grandly opened, using flowers as a medium to invigorate spring tourism and showcase the diverse charm of Laos' tourism development.
The ASEAN Tourism Forum was held in Cebu City, Philippines, from January 25th to 31st. The awards aimed to recognize member countries and tourism operators that meet ASEAN standards for clean tourism, green hotels, quality event venues, and sustainable tourism. Of the 21 awards Luang Prabang won, the Luang Prabang National Museum received both the ASEAN Clean Tourism Award and the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award. Another 19 awards went to local hotels and event venues, bringing the city's total ASEAN tourism awards to 93, fully demonstrating its long-term commitment to high-quality, environmentally friendly tourism.
Notably, this marks the third time Luang Prabang has received the ASEAN Clean Tourism City Award since 2018, achieving an average score of 87.96% across seven core evaluation indicators. Relevant departments stated that they will continue to focus on environmental management, cleanliness, and waste disposal to further solidify its reputation as a clean tourism destination.
The Luang Prabang National Museum won the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award for its high-quality, environmentally friendly tourism products, achieving an average score of 92.72% across five main evaluation indicators. To further improve its offerings, the museum plans to focus on four key areas: encouraging public participation in environmental and cultural protection, providing professional tour guide teams, enriching the supply of unique souvenirs, and strengthening the standardized management of waste and wastewater, thereby continuously strengthening the foundation for sustainable tourism development.
Of the 19 private enterprises that received awards, 15 were rated ASEAN Green Hotels, 3 won the ASEAN Conference Facilities Award, and 1 received an award in the other event venue category, highlighting the positive trend of collaboration between Lao public institutions and tourism enterprises in promoting sustainable tourism development. Furthermore, the Luang Prabang National Museum has been rated a four-star national tourist attraction. In recent years, the local Department of Culture and Tourism has continuously upgraded the museum's facilities, optimizing areas such as ticket counters, corridors, and restrooms, equipping it with first-aid equipment and wheelchairs, and adding fire extinguishers, comprehensively enhancing the visitor experience. In the future, the department will continue to improve the museum's quality, enrich its unique activities, and strive to achieve a five-star national standard, further enhancing the museum's appeal to tourists.
A new chapter in cultural and tourism development has begun. The Kapok Festival in Dongpeng District, Bokeo Province, Laos, recently opened as scheduled. The mountainsides are ablaze with blooming kapok flowers, adorning the local scenery with dazzling beauty. This grand event, with the kapok as a cultural symbol, not only showcases the natural beauty of Bokeo Province but also officially kicks off the local spring cultural and tourism development, injecting new vitality into Laos' cultural and tourism industry.
